A compliance mechanism is an assembly device that compliantly manipulates an object, such as a first component with respect to a second component in an assembly process. Compliance in the manipulation of an object is desirable because variations in the location of various components can exist, even in highly precise automated processes. As a result, some compliance is typically provided in a positioning mechanism to prevent damage to the components and the positioning mechanism itself.
There have been numerous compliance mechanisms described in the art for use with robotic applications. However, many of these mechanisms of the existing art have no repeatable centered position. Thus, the alignment of compliant and non-compliant parts when setting up a machine is very difficult. For other compliance mechanisms of the existing art, it is difficult to determine when to unlock the mechanism when picking or placing a part. Still other compliant mechanisms of the existing art use flexures or elastomers that undesirably require a deflection force proportional to the deflection distance.
While the existing compliance devices are functional, there remains a need for an improved compliance mechanism that overcomes these and other limitations of the prior art.